MLB Draft 2012: Potential Prospects for Baseball's Elite Teams

While the initial focus of the 2012 MLB draft will be on the Houston Astros and who they ultimately select with the No. 1 overall pick, it's always interesting to see which top-level talent that baseball's elite clubs add to their organizations.

Teams with top picks in the draft, like the Astros, Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners, have a long way before they returned to contender status. 

The Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers each have 5.5-game leads in their respective divisions. They have done it with stellar pitching and MVP starts to the seasons from their superstars, Josh Hamilton and Matt Kemp, respectively. 

Which prospects are possibilities for these potential league champions in the first round this year?

Texas Rangers

The Rangers hold the No. 29 overall pick, and at this point, they are in a position of luxury, thanks to a powerful hitting lineup and a deep pitching staff. 

Duane Underwood, RHP, Pope H.S. (Marietta, Georgia)

Underwood is the pick of ESPN's Keith Law in his most recent mock draft (Insider required). The 6'2'', 205-pound righty has an explosive fastball that can reach 98 miles per hour, but he can be erratic at times. 

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel scripted a fine column on Underwood and wrote this following upon watching one of his starts:

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His 80-82 mph changeup was his best secondary pitch and while he showed good deception and confidence in the pitch, he couldn't locate it. His 74-77 mph curveball also showed average potential but he was casting it (like a fishing reel) causing early, loose break.

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He's the perfect raw, yet supremely talented, pitcher to go through the Rangers' minor league system to be coached on the finer nuances of the game. 

Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood (Ga.) H.S. 

A similar prospect to Underwood, Sims has a live arm that can deliver a fastball in the low- to-mid-90s and a curveball that still needs works in terms of its consistency. 

PerfectGame.org wrote the quick blurb about Sims: "Power mid 90s RHP. Good athlete. Clean delivery, high ceiling. Outstanding at many PG events."

Sims seems like the type of pitching prospect that Texas covets and could be the pick if Underwood is unavailable. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers, who are led by reining NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and saw a resurgent start to the season from veteran Chris Capuano, have a deep pitching staff and have a multitude of top pitching prospects in their farm system. 

Bleacher Report's MLB lead blogger Zach Rymer (@ZachRymer) had the following to say when I asked him about Los Angeles' draft situation: 

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The saying goes that you can never have enough pitching, and one look at the Dodgers' farm system reveals that the organization is very much a believer in that philosophy. Virtually all of their top prospects are pitchers. If they decide to target bats in the draft, look for the Dodgers to target corner infielders with power potential. The Dodgers will take the best players they can get, regardless of position.

 

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Ty Hensley, RHP, (Okla.) Santa Fe H.S 

This is Law's pick, but Rymer makes it clear that they'll employ the best player available strategy in the first round. Hensley is a huge at 6'5'' and 220 pounds, so he has the size to be a workhorse at the top of a rotation. His fastball has recently been clocked in the mid-90s, according to Jason Churchill of ESPN.

If they deem Hensley as the top prospect on the board, they'll add to their minor league system that's stacked with pitching talent. 

David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain H.S. (Birmingham, Ala.)

Dahl is one of the most highly-touted prep position players in the country. 

He's 6'2'' and 190 pounds, so he could add a bit more bulk to his frame, but he's been a stellar prospect since he started high school and batted .439 as a freshman. 

Here's what BaseballProspectNation.com had to say about him: 

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Excellent offensive potential. Natural hitting ability with willingness to use all fields and take what’s given to him. Good strength and bat speed with projection for plus power combined with potential for averages approaching .300.

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The Dodgers are currently set in their outfield, but it's never too early to build for the future, and Dahl has all the natural qualities you'd want in a high school position prospect. 

Follow @ChrisTrapasso